Having a chat with my dad about all things Cardiff City like we normal the subjuct of Christmas Day fixtures came-up. I had heard about Christmas Day games before and but surprised at Cardiff’s last Christmas Day game was only back in 1954 I thought it was more a 20's/30's thing. My dad said they were a regular thing back in his day younger days, and I just love the idea of a game on Christmas Day. Some of the crowds were impressive, 1950 32,778 – 1952 36,146 - 1954 22,895 could Cardiff full the stadium on Christmas Day today?
So using the stats book The Definitive Cardiff City F.C by Richard Shepherd (ISBN 1-899-46817-X) I started to educate myself on the subject. The first reference to a Christmas Day game was against Croydon Common in 1911; both clubs were in the Southern League Division Two at the time. Who the hell were Croydon Common you might be thinking, a quick internet search came up with not much but they begun life in 1897 as an amateur church team competing in local leagues they turned professional in 1907 on joining the Southern League but disbanded in 1917.
The game end with a victory for Cardiff 4-0, J Burton, Featherstone, Abley, and G Burton scored the goals for the City on that Christmas Day. The very next day Boxing Day Cardiff where off to London for the return game, two games in two days it would not be heard of today.
The following Christmas 1912, it was a local derby with Pontypridd with an estimated 11,000 crowd. Cardiff played a Christmas Day/Boxing Day double header with Merthyr Town in 1914 both games drawn. What was different about this year Cardiff played three games over three days when Plymouth Argyle paid a visit to Cardiff on the 27th. Could you see any football team playing three games over three days these days? The City’s first away game on Christmas Day was to Boxing Day’s visitors Plymouth Argyle, the game ended with defeat for Cardiff.
List of games
1911 Cardiff City 4-0 Croydon Common Southern League Division 2
1912 Cardiff City 1-1 Pontypridd Southern League Division 2
1913 Cardiff City 1-1 Merthyr Town Southern League Division 1
1914 Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Cardiff City Southern League Division 1
1919 Merthyr 1-1 Cardiff City Southern League Division 1
1920 Coventry City 2-4 Cardiff City Division 2
1923 Sheffield United 1-1 Cardiff City Division 1
1924 West Ham United 3-2 Cardiff City Division 1
1925 Cardiff City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion Division 1
1926 Newcastle United 5-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1928 Leeds United 3-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1929 Bristol City 2-0 Cardiff City Division 2
1931 Luton Town 2-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1933 Coventry City 4-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1935 Southend 3-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1936 Torquay United 1-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1937 Mansfield Town 3-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1940 Swansea Town 1-3 Cardiff City War League
1941 Cardiff City 1-2 Swansea Town War League
1942 Swansea Town 3-1 Cardiff City War League
1943 Cardiff City 5-1 Lovells Athletic War League
1944 Cardiff City 3-1 Swansea Town War League
1945 Bristol Rovers 2-2 Cardiff City War League
1946 Leyton Orient 1-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1948 Brentford 1-1 Cardiff City Division 2
1950 Cardiff City 2-1 Coventry City Division 2
1951 Swansea Town 1-1 Cardiff City Division 1
1952 Newcastle United 0-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1954 Cardiff City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion Division 1
Game that caught my eye from the list a trip from hell Newcastle on a Christmas Day 1926 and again in 1952 even if you travel on the train (back in them days there was a Christmas Day train service) it would be a nightmare lucky there were no Boxing fixtures after these games. Would there be any Cardiff City fan travelling to these game even in the 50’s it would be a hard slog
Other games of note West Ham, Leeds, both defeats and away from home .
Would today’s fans be willing to stand at for roadside waiting for a coach/midi bus on Christmas morning wait for a trip anywhere for a game? Forgoing Christmas at home with the family and a turkey dinner not sure I would but for a away game to Newcastle
A few stats, the number of game played 29 excluding any played during the First World War.
Home 9 - Away 20
Biggest win 5-1 Lovells Athletic 1943
Biggest defeat 5-0 Newcastle 1926
Total Wins 8 - Draws 7 – Defeats 14
So using the stats book The Definitive Cardiff City F.C by Richard Shepherd (ISBN 1-899-46817-X) I started to educate myself on the subject. The first reference to a Christmas Day game was against Croydon Common in 1911; both clubs were in the Southern League Division Two at the time. Who the hell were Croydon Common you might be thinking, a quick internet search came up with not much but they begun life in 1897 as an amateur church team competing in local leagues they turned professional in 1907 on joining the Southern League but disbanded in 1917.
The game end with a victory for Cardiff 4-0, J Burton, Featherstone, Abley, and G Burton scored the goals for the City on that Christmas Day. The very next day Boxing Day Cardiff where off to London for the return game, two games in two days it would not be heard of today.
The following Christmas 1912, it was a local derby with Pontypridd with an estimated 11,000 crowd. Cardiff played a Christmas Day/Boxing Day double header with Merthyr Town in 1914 both games drawn. What was different about this year Cardiff played three games over three days when Plymouth Argyle paid a visit to Cardiff on the 27th. Could you see any football team playing three games over three days these days? The City’s first away game on Christmas Day was to Boxing Day’s visitors Plymouth Argyle, the game ended with defeat for Cardiff.
List of games
1911 Cardiff City 4-0 Croydon Common Southern League Division 2
1912 Cardiff City 1-1 Pontypridd Southern League Division 2
1913 Cardiff City 1-1 Merthyr Town Southern League Division 1
1914 Plymouth Argyle 2-0 Cardiff City Southern League Division 1
1919 Merthyr 1-1 Cardiff City Southern League Division 1
1920 Coventry City 2-4 Cardiff City Division 2
1923 Sheffield United 1-1 Cardiff City Division 1
1924 West Ham United 3-2 Cardiff City Division 1
1925 Cardiff City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion Division 1
1926 Newcastle United 5-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1928 Leeds United 3-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1929 Bristol City 2-0 Cardiff City Division 2
1931 Luton Town 2-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1933 Coventry City 4-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1935 Southend 3-1 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1936 Torquay United 1-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1937 Mansfield Town 3-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1940 Swansea Town 1-3 Cardiff City War League
1941 Cardiff City 1-2 Swansea Town War League
1942 Swansea Town 3-1 Cardiff City War League
1943 Cardiff City 5-1 Lovells Athletic War League
1944 Cardiff City 3-1 Swansea Town War League
1945 Bristol Rovers 2-2 Cardiff City War League
1946 Leyton Orient 1-0 Cardiff City Division 3 (South)
1948 Brentford 1-1 Cardiff City Division 2
1950 Cardiff City 2-1 Coventry City Division 2
1951 Swansea Town 1-1 Cardiff City Division 1
1952 Newcastle United 0-0 Cardiff City Division 1
1954 Cardiff City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion Division 1
Game that caught my eye from the list a trip from hell Newcastle on a Christmas Day 1926 and again in 1952 even if you travel on the train (back in them days there was a Christmas Day train service) it would be a nightmare lucky there were no Boxing fixtures after these games. Would there be any Cardiff City fan travelling to these game even in the 50’s it would be a hard slog
Other games of note West Ham, Leeds, both defeats and away from home .
Would today’s fans be willing to stand at for roadside waiting for a coach/midi bus on Christmas morning wait for a trip anywhere for a game? Forgoing Christmas at home with the family and a turkey dinner not sure I would but for a away game to Newcastle
A few stats, the number of game played 29 excluding any played during the First World War.
Home 9 - Away 20
Biggest win 5-1 Lovells Athletic 1943
Biggest defeat 5-0 Newcastle 1926
Total Wins 8 - Draws 7 – Defeats 14
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